Toni Atkins poised to become state Senate’s first female, LGBT president

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SACRAMENTO — Sen. Toni Atkins is poised to become the first woman to lead the state Senate, receiving support from the Democratic caucus to replace Sen. President Kevin de León, who said he will step down next year.

Atkins, D-San Diego, is expected to be confirmed through a formal vote in the Senate next month. Termed-out de León, D-Los Angeles, is challenging fellow Democrat U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein in next year’s election.

While the vote on Atkins is scheduled for early January, the actual transition of the leadership post would happen later in the year, de León said in a statement.

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“Toni is a leader of great experience, achievement and integrity, and I have every confidence that she will lead America’s most accomplished legislative chamber to even greater heights,” de León said.

De León, the first Latino leader in the Senate in more than a century, said Atkins, who also will be the first LGBT Senate leader, would follow that vein in making history.

Atkins had been a clear front-runner for the Senate president post, having served as speaker in the Assembly before moving to the Senate in 2016. Her term ends in 2020. The announcement that Senate Democrats have united around Atkins comes as the Legislature faces an onslaught of sexual harassment allegations, including against Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia (Los Angeles County). Mendoza has been stripped of his chairmanship until an investigation into sexual misconduct is completed.

Under de León, the Senate has resisted many of President Trump’s policies, most prominently pushing for added protections for California immigrants in the country without documentation. Many climate change protections and new targets for renewable energy are on the agenda for the upcoming year.

“Given our national divisions, California’s example is more important than ever — and I look forward to working with our President pro Tem and all of our colleagues to ensure that the Senate continues to rise together to meet the challenges faced by the great people we represent,” Atkins said in a statement.

Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, called Atkins a mentor.

“Toni Atkins is a fantastic leader for our state,” Wiener said. “She is also a trailblazer for the LGBT community, and I consider her a mentor. As the first woman and first LGBT Senate Pro Tem in California history, she will blaze yet another trail.”